Israeli settler rams car into Palestinian man in Jerusalem: witnesses

A Jewish settler rammed her vehicle into Palestinians near the Bab al-Maghariba gate in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday, according to witnesses.

Witnesses said the Israeli woman accelerated into a Palestinian, who was rushed to hospital with wounds and bruises, the Palestinian WAFA news agency reported. The settler reportedly fled the scene.

Attacks and raids by Israeli settlers often go unpunished by Israeli authorities, who have treated such incidents as accidents.

Last month, a Jewish settler drove his car into Palestinian pedestrians on a busy road near Jerusalem's Old City. Witnesses accused the driver, who later emerged from the vehicle with a pistol drawn, of deliberately ramming his car into Palestinians.

Israeli police claimed the driver lost control of his car.

Since protests broke out across historical Palestine last month, including in the West Bank, Gaza and within Israel's 1948 borders, Israel has carried out a wave of arrests targeting Palestinians.

As Palestinians protested against Israel's forced expulsions and raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israeli mobs also took to the streets to target Palestinians, including by carrying out raids on homes of Palestinian-Israelis.

Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blamed the violence on Palestinians, despite video footage showing Jewish extremists carrying out attacks.

On Thursday, Israeli police announced that 2,142 people have been arrested so far in connection to the protests, more than 90 percent of whom were Palestinian. Police said 614 people remain in custody.